Blue/Orange by Joe Penhall. Sharon Perlmutter – TalkinBroadway.com I’ve been waiting for a Los Angeles production of Joe Penhall’s Blue/Orange ever since it won a bunch of awards in London back in 2000-2001. It’s a dark little piece about race, the human condition, degrees of insanity, and the way our own perceptions and biases influence our reality. Sort of an Oleanna by … Read more
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari presented by Astra Dance Company. Pauline Adamek – ArtsBeatLA Astra Dance Company has interpreted the twisted, sinister plot and expressionistic style of the 1920s silent horror film classic to produce a gorgeous if disquieting acrobatic ballet. A breathtakingly talented troupe of 17 neoclassical dancers, contortionists and circus artists emote and perform the melodramatic … Read more
8, the Play by Dustin Lance Black. Shirle Gottlieb, Gazette Newspapers What a gorgeous building! We’ve lived in Long Beach since we were teenagers, and this is the first time we ever set foot in the Scottish Rite Building, located at 855 Elm Ave. As for the lavish 700-seat Ernest Borgnine Theatre within it… we didn’t even know it existed. … Read more
By the Way, Meet Vera Stark by Lynn Nottage. Terry Morgan – LAist.com Lynn Nottage’s play, By the Way, Meet Vera Stark, is more intriguing as a concept than a reality. It looks at the marginalization of African-American actors in the twentieth century, an undeniably interesting subject, but then stumbles in multiple ways. The fault, unfortunately, is … Read more
Justin Love — Book by Patricia Cotter and David Elzer, Story byDavid Elzer and Bret Calder, Music by Lori Scarlett and David Manning, Lyrics by Lori Scarlett. Sharon Perlmutter – TalkinBroadway.com Justin Love gives an old plot a modern twist, shines it up with with a bright and upbeat score, adds genuinely clever dialogue and lyrics, and wraps it all up in a Hollywood that only exists in fairy … Read more
Trojan Barbie by Christine Evans. Shirle Gottlieb — Gazette Newspapers The Garage Theatre celebrated its 51st production last weekend with the opening of Trojan Barbie. Written by Christine Evans, first place winner in the “Plays for the 21st Century” competition, it explores the similarities of modern warfare in the Middle East with Euripides’ Greek tragedy, The Trojan Women. Read more…
Year of the Rabbit by Keliher Walsh. Sharon Perlmutter – TalkinBroadway.com I don’t think I’d ever actually considered the possibility that our soldiers fighting in the Middle East might be the children of our soldiers who fought in Vietnam. Keliher Walsh’s world premiere play, Year of the Rabbit, takes that idea and runs with it. Read more… Pauline Adamek – LA … Read more
Three Views of the Same Objectby Henry Murray. Sharon Perlmutter – TalkinBroadway.com It’s a play about aging—Stop! Wait! Don’t turn away! It’s an honest, frank-and-sometimes-funny look at people making difficult life decisions at a time of life when their conversation focuses just a bit too much on bodily functions. Read more… David C. Nichols — L.A. Times … Read more
Encounter by Aparna Sindhoor, Anil Natyaveda, and S M Raju. Dany Margolies, ArtsInLA The wisdom of the adage “Show, don’t tell” quickly becomes apparent in this dance-theater piece. And symbolic “showing” can be even more evocative than realism, which may explain why the storytelling here leaves the viewer shattered. In a universal tale about shortsighted despotism and evilly … Read more
The Book of Mormon by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez andMatt Stone. David C. Nichols – Backstage With a subversive chortle and a heart bigger than the Great Salt Lake, The Book of Mormon hits Los Angeles and triumphantly becomes the hottest attraction in town. The joyous West Coast premiere of Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, and Matt Stone’s Tony-winning gusher doesn’t just meet expectations; it … Read more